AI Forecasting Technology Works to Solve for Miami Traffic: Bridge Forecast

Innovative, cross-cultural global creative agency the communityhas launched Bridge Forecast, a first-of-its-kind system that monitors drawbridges in real time to inform commuters of potential traffic delays. Unveiled in partnership with Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables, this smart technology leverages computer vision and machine learning to predict and convey when Downtown Miami's three major drawbridges, along the Miami River, will rise. With traffic jams only increasing, and commuters and boaters at a draw, the community, under the leadership of Co-Founders & Chief Creative Officers Jose and Joaquin Molla, launched Bridge Forecast as a solution. In researching the commuting patterns of Miami, the agency found that the tension between cars and boats had peaked, especially since the population in Downtown Miami had swelled 40 percent since 2010 and expected to grow close to another 20 percent by 2021. Businesses and commuters pushed to limit drawbridge closure times during peak rush hours to combat the many traffic delays. In turn, boaters and the U.S. Coast Guard, which regulates traffic on the Miami River, fought back, noting this would hurt their industry and cause navigational hazards in the water. The system uses artificial intelligence and the placement of around-the-clock cameras overlooking the drawbridges on Miami Ave., Southwest 2nd Ave., and Brickell Ave. By monitoring boat traffic and drawbridge openings using Computer Vision technology, the community created an understanding of bridge behavior. Then using machine learning, the agency took the behavioral data and began predicting openings in various time intervals. The system then conveys the information to commuters, allowing them to seek alternate routes and avoid traffic congestion.